Small forward Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points (7-for-13 field goals), shooting guard Klay Thompson contributed 17 points, and small forward Kevin Durant added 14 points as Team USA defeated Nigeria 110-66 in its final showcase game before the 2016 Rio Olympics begin in Brazil next week.
The win tops off a four-game sweep of USA’s tune up at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Nigerian forward Chamberlain Oguchi led his team with 21 points.
Team USA broke open the game with a 30-6 run in the first half. The Americans settled in for a 54-30 lead at halftime. Neither Thompson nor Durant could miss from anywhere on the floor.
With a comfortable lead intact, Team USA relied on its defense to ride out the win, 110-66.
The red, white, and blue play their first game in Rio this Saturday versus China. Each team in Group A is scheduled to play four preliminary games before the medal rounds begin August 17.
Don’t expect Team USA to be quite so dominant in Rio as they were in Houston. China, France, and Australia could prove formidable opponents in the Group A prelims.
Brad Omland is a basketball writer for HowlinTwolf.com. Follow him on Twitter for Minnesota sports updates and commentary: @bradradio.
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